Sunderland track Liverpool and Arsenal target Burke

Oliver Burke: Wanted at Sunderland

Oliver Burke: Wanted at Sunderland

Sunderland are reportedly the latest club to register an interest in Nottingham Forest’s flying teenager Oliver Burke.

The teenage winger twice put Forest ahead against Wigan on Saturday before Thomas Lam sealed a last-gasp 4-3 win and the watching scouts cannot have failed to have been impressed by the speedy 19-year-old.

Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Liverpool have already made checks on the Scotland international and now the Daily Mirror says Sunderland have also added him to their wanted list.

Forest boss Philippe Montanier is adamant the player would be better off  staying put at the City Ground, but competition and interest is growing in the player.

“His future is at Nottingham Forest,” Montanier told BBC Radio Nottingham.

“Oliver knows that the most important thing for young players like him is to play and to progress. Here at Nottingham Forest, it is a good place to play and improve before going away.

“A lot of young players go away very early and then they have problems trying to improve to play at the top level.

“Oliver knows that it’s important for him and for us that here we have good facilities and a good atmosphere around him to improve his level and learn the game.”

The Mirror claims that Burke only has two years to run on his deal, but the player in fact signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with the Championship club in February this year after making such fantastic progress.

Burke, who came through Forest’s academy, has made only 26 first-team appearances but such has been his development that Forest face a battle to keep hold of the right winger, who is rated in the £10million bracket.